Ranking Release.

In December 2023, ‘Top 100 Golf Courses’ reached the final chapter of their English county revision exercise, updating Middlesex and the surrounding Home Counties, rich in golfing quality of the highest standard.

Four new entries appeared in the Middlesex chart revision; Hendon Golf Club is the highest of these at #5. Southern County panellist Tim Elliott visited Hendon and gave the following review:

“The front nine holes run roughly anti-clockwise inside the back nine, which run clockwise around the property with both nines returning to the clubhouse.

The parkland course threads its way along tree-lined fairways, which are mainly wide with well-positioned Colt bunkers and drainage ditches catching the errant shot. It is, however, the excellent fast-running greens, all with plenty of movement, which is the undoubted feature of the course, for they are as much a joy to try and read as they are to putt on.

Hendon has initiated a sharp improvement in course maintenance standards in the last year or so, with a lot of thick rough cleared away, particularly under and near the many trees, which in turn have been cut back and thinned out. In my mind, more trees can still be taken out, and grass growth on the fairways further encouraged, but this is a work in progress as the Club looks to improve its course further.

The golf holes, however, are of a consistently good standard and provide many interesting challenges with the layout of the course, creating a surprisingly spacious feel. After a steady start of straight par fours, of which the long second hole is the best, I like the two holes that follow, the 4th being a left dogleg and followed by a right dogleg, both to challenging greens. 6 is an intimidating uphill short hole where most players would settle for a bogey four before a charming run of holes to the turn. The longest hole on the course at 8 is beautifully shaped and one of only two par fives before the front nine ends with a 100-yard par three that requires a very precise short iron to a green surrounded by four large bunkers.

The other good par five is at 12, and two shorter par fours at 14 and 15 keep the momentum going. The 400-yard 16th to a raised green is the most scenic hole on the course before a suitably testing finish to a very enjoyable round of golf.”